I aquired a set of quality NSPs on Sunday. The set was made in 1998 and the chanter had my reed in it, from the start. The set had been played where the room was heated by a coal-fire, The reed was very dirty due to this so I decided to clean it. Having no petrol or lighter-fluid I decided to use nail-varnish remover; I thought this would be good as it evapourates quickly but It didn't clean the reed! Taking the reed by the scruff of its neck, I placed it under the cold-water-tap and swilled it. I then opened the blades with the girdle and put some shampoo down its gullet. I placed some paper between the blades and squoze them together and withdrew the paper. I did this a few times before swilling the reed again. I then repeated the shampoo cleaning and swilled the reed a few times after. I then placed some more paper in between the blades to soak up the water and used tissue on the outside. The girdle was then squoze back to reshape the blades. The reed was placed back in the chanter and the chanter put back in its stock. I then bellowed the pipes and let the air go down the chanter, without sounding it, for a few minutes. After I played the chanter, it sounded much better and it gradually come into tune as the reed dried out.The reed did not distort with being wet and there were no other problems, either.

It would be good to know what sort of shampoo was used - 'Formulated for Oily Reeds' or a bottle of 'Normal'? Or was it indeed 'Tenon & Shoulders'?

Anyway, I heard Adrian's reed last night and can confirm that it sounded excellent after this tender care. It's good to have these unquestioned myths exposed from time to time, and this is a very successful example.